Helen's Diary

This is a transcription of some diaries I bought at an antique store near Toledo, Ohio. When the diary starts in January 1937, Helen is a young wife and soon to become a new mother. If you wish to read it, it's best to start with the first post - January 1937 (my oldest post) - and then follow along with her everyday life.

July 10, 2008

August 1938

Monday, August 1, 1938

Washed – trying to get Baby on 3 meal day – cleaned – Walked to library & pictures – Stopped at Lanes for Soda – Frank to ball game with Manny

Tuesday, August 2, 1938

Ironed half of ironing – had a hot day – Harry Wierly guest for dinner – swimming at Centennial pool evening – Pop corn – ride & home – Rose here for night

Wednesday, August 3, 1938

Finished ironing – slept afternoon – its terribly hot – had corn omelet for supper – spent evening mending and crabing with Frank he always doubts my love for him

Thursday, August 4, 1938

Read all day and night too – left Frank feed Baby while I walked to library with Regine Swartz – Frank sore at me because I read

Toledo Public Library


Friday, August 5, 1938

Took Baby to Dr. today – weight 18 ½ pounds – starting her on three meals a day – Frank gone to Deliver hit money & home very late – sewed

Saturday, August 6, 1938

Prepared all morning food – Went to cleveland afternoon – Supper at grandmas – Even at Toots played poker and crabs till 4 A.M. – Not girls just fellows – terrible tired & tough Baby

Sunday, August 7, 1938

Up at 5 A.M. with Baby – so feed her and back to bed – Luella made a swell chicken dinner – Toots Baby & Betty over for awhile – came home about 3:30 – very tired naturally

Monday, August 8, 1938

Walked to library & Lanes – Baby standing up in Bigboy – out to Mothers for supper – corn on cob – Even – home Frank says he can lose more weight than I - 170-150

Tuesday, August 9, 1938

Washed clothes – cleaned Basement – steak dinner – dampened clothes – watered grass – wrote letter Toots – Frank gone for evening – Sewed – terribly hot

Wednesday, August 10, 1938

[shorthand] Very hot day did some ironing – Went with Frank to deliver money – hamburgs – feel lousy – Went to show with Regine Swartz Westwood – B Tayor – 3 comrades – Storm

[Three Comrades is a drama starring Robert Taylor, Margaret Sullavan, Franchot Tone and Robert Young. The Storm is an adventure movie starring Charles Bickford]

Thursday, August 11, 1938

Finished ironing cleaned house and spent evening listened to opera Rigoletto from Wallbridge – My ambition is to see one next year – Dorothy B phoned

Friday, August 12, 1938

Loafed morning & afternoon because of company Dorothy Baron & Georgia Whiton and so pleased to see them – Frank home early had Piceroll fish – Ride with Virg & Manny

Saturday, August 13, 1938

So sleepy went back to bed until 9:30 – afternoon down town got Baby new shoes – size 3 dress pants & some music – out to pier dancing with Manny & Virg Eve Ganch Baby

Sunday, August 14, 1938

Sleep all day practically – Baby cross has lose bowels – Nice cool breeze on porch – Regine S. over for ½ hr. hot dogs for supper – Dot & Jim over Beer – talked

Monday, August 15, 1938

Scrubed floor – Baby still cross – Bill over on Bicycle – Both went to Ball game this even – Writing letters to Luella & Sara – Ride late – cut grass – tired

Tuesday, August 16, 1938

I have the worst wash days – Rained ironed some things wet – went to Toledo Beach – Hamburgs & home – Show – Gun rado [?] – Blue Beards 8th wife – Colbert & G. Cooper

[Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife is an Ernst Lubitsch comedy starring Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper]





Wednesday, August 17, 1938

Ironed – Billy helped clean – went to library with Regine – Baby still sick – Show – Westwood with Regine – I better start getting some sleep

Thursday, August 18, 1938

Out to Mothers early in the morning – mended some things – Shower on Dot Woolf – went with Louse Ulrich – I sure wish I could get thin – Frank went to ball game

Friday, August 19, 1938

Enjoyed day at mothers – sewed & slept – came home after supper – I like to go away but like better to come home – Baby feeling good now and acting cutter than ever

Saturday, August 20, 1938

Letter from toots – took exercise – Franks folks & Mother here for lunch – Krepla very good – Manny & Virg here evening and all night – I don’t enjoy their company

Sunday, August 21, 1938

Bacon & eggs breakfast – Dorothy Baron over & Johny – Man & Virg & all Went to Gem Beach – Baby eats sand cross crawly and embarrasses me very much when we ate out – even home

Monday, August 22, 1938

Pictures came – pretty cute – rode over to Mannys to see them – Home a gain – sewed evening – Frank home also – we still argue about things

Tuesday, August 23, 1938

Baby fell & hurt leg so rushed to Dr & had exras taken nuthing broke but – Mary Jane and Vince over played cards and served coca cola

Wednesday, August 24, 1938

So tired all day – took Baby to Dr for exra – Came home on street car – Baby so cross – H goodleman & D. Penn & others here – played bridge served lunch – played piano

Thursday, August 25, 1938

Busy most of day cleaning out cubbards – had a light supper and went to bed at 7:30 slept like a log all night with I could do this oftener

Friday, August 26, 1938

Cleaned up house scrubed kitchen – took Baby out to Mothers for her supper – Brought Billy back with us – ate at Bud & Lukes – Show Lord Jeff Back in circulation

[Lord Jeff is a drama starring Freddie Bartholomew and Mickey Rooney. Back In Circulation is a mystery/comedy starring Pat O’Brien and Joan Blondell]

Bud & Lukes


Saturday, August 27, 1938

Up at 6 – made a custard pie – walked to store – had Baked potatoes for lunch – slept afternoon – took Billy home – stopped for ice cream and spent evening home

Sunday, August 28, 1938

Up at 6 AM. ironed while Frank played Ball – Baby cross foot hurts her yet – Read Books sewed and Bed early

Monday, August 29, 1938

Tore rose bush down so I could hang laundry on side – Washed – had waffels here for supper – Frank home even – Visited Mrs. Brown upstairs

Tuesday, August 30, 1938

Ironed from 6:30 on since Baby got up at 6 AM. Louise and Nanny here even – had a headake after they left – Frank & I went for ride & roast Beef sand

Wednesday, August 31, 1938

Billy here – waffels for Br – had hair set – slept from 7-8 and went to show with Frank – Golywin Follies and Jezibel – very good – came home late malted milk

[The Goldwyn Follies is a musical starring Adolphe Menjou and The Ritz Brothers. Jezebel is a drama starring Bette Davis and Henry Fonda]

MEMORANDUM
Weight 151 – dam this fat – might as well be carrying another baby

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